Sandwich-making machine



Jan. 1, 1946. B. A. ARVIDSON SANDWICH MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 19434 Sheets-Sheet Jan. 1, 1946. B A. ARVIDSON SANDWICH MAKING MACHINE FiledNov. 5, 1943' 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 .J In. QlIIII 42 11 3 4 Sheets-Sheet 3B. A. ARVIDSON SANDWICH MAKING MACHINE Filed NOV. 5, 1943 Jan. 1, 1946.

Jan. 1, 1 946. B. A. ARVIDSON 2,391,937

SANDWICH MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 PatentedJan. 1, 1946 UNITED STATES OFFICE SANDWICH-MAKIN Bengt A. Arvid'son,Villa Park, 111., assignor 2 Miller Wrapping and Seali-ngMachine Com--pany, Chicago, 5111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 5,1943, Serial No. 569,015

8 Claims.

This invention is designed primarily for the coating and uniting ofcrackers or the like (hereinafter referred to as layers) into sandwichescomprising a lower layer coated with peanutbutter, cheese, or otherfiller, and an upper layer in register and adherence therewith. Thespecial features of invention pertain mainly to the employment ofendless feeder chains or conveyors provided with laterally projectingprongs affording cells or pockets for the reception of the sandwichlayers, which prongs serve to sweep a procession of layers along thesurface of a table or the like until they come into registration with anoffset or aperture which permits them to drop singly toa lower level inthe maneuvering of the layers which ultimately are united by pairs inthe formation of a sandwich.

The invention admits of certain variations in the feeding andsuperposing of the layers which variations, however, necessarily conformtothe general feeding and-superposingv scheme of operations whichcharacterizes the presentinvention. Two such exemplifications of thenature of the invention will hereinafter be described in detail inconjunctionwith the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective top view of a machine embodying the principlesof the present inven-- tion;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the center of themachine;

Figs. 3, 4, .5, and 6 aresections taken respectively on lines 3-3,44,,55, and'66 of Fig. 2 showing the progress of the sandwich layersthrough the machine;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of construction;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectiontaken on line 88 of Fig. 7 and Figs. 9,10, 11, 12, and 13 are sections taken respectively on lines 9-9, Ill-40,ll--l l, l'2-l2 and l3-l3 of- Fig. 7.

Referring first to Figs. 1.to 6 inclusive, the machine is mounted on abase '20, having a stepped surface comprising three-levels; an upperlevel in the nature of a platform-2|, an upper table top 22, and a lowertable 23. The platform constitutes a bin and is; surrounded on the rearand two sides by a wall 24 which affords a partial enclosure for thedeposit of crackers or like sandwich layers, being definedon its inner.edge byfa sloping step 25 ,down which thelayers are'slid by anattendant. The sandwich layers fed from the upper level platform.- are.-afterwards coated ,Vanceata lower.

prongs on eaens de ef the conv yor in two abr st advaa i gcolumns, willt n toinaintain contact[with thecoriweyor and will not be displaced fromthe opejfijoutersides of the p00kets afforded The sandwichlayersthusdeposited and swept ror war yjalo the, surface of the table, willmaintain. contact vWith/the. conveyor i1 until the latter traverses atrap opening}?! in the table topat which point the. layers, beingdeprived of s'iippo'f willjf'all to a lower table surface afforded by. abntfilii "on 13a of thelower table surface 233s .shown in ,Fig. 2. Thislower surface is traversed by the lower run of 'an outer conveyor 30which encircles. and is. an elongated counterpart, of the conveyor 21and travels in. register "therewith around an outer circuit.

.The; cqnvyo su. s provided on each side with spaceapro g 3l afi'rjdi lopen bottomless cells ,or pockets, so -disposed thatwhen thesandwichsections .dreptlirough the opening 29, they Will .uilderlyifig pocketsand adfall singly into the 1e beneath t re upper table surface 22.

The table surface 22, aha point beyond the trap opening fl suppo'rts aforward platform 32 havin'g aiioorgilfi sidewalls 34 a, rear wall 35,and a sloping forwarci step 316. ,Theconveyorll passes ,undertheplatforn andemerges through an aperturejl inthestep t fiinposition to receive sandwich layers fed down'by a second attendant, fromthe platform above and carry them forwardly in registering relationtothe layers being carried at a lowerlevel by the conveyor. 30.

0 'Before the';,two, rows-of sandwich sections delivered from=the-platform 2| drop through the trap openingrZBIEtheyarecOated by alayer-of peanut butter orother coatingejected from spouts .3 .d p d nsrom;,meager 1 y a p ov d v vlbeneaththe flow depletedpocketsfifthe;innerconveyor 21 which passes construction so that as thelayers drop through the trap opening, coated side uppermost, they willbe in position to have the top layers of the sandwich superposed singlyupon them.

These top layers, which are delivered from the platform 33 will advancealong the table surface 22 until they reach the forward edge thereofwhich is afforded by a step having an aperture 4! through which thelower run of the outer conveyor 30 advances carrying on each side a loadof coated lower sandwich layers. ers fall down from between the prongsof the conveyor 2'! they will register singly with the coat- As the toplayed layers and advance therewith beneath pressure rolls 42 carried bybracket arms 43 pivotedupon a pintle 44, which rolls exert suflicientpressure upon the two layers to cause adherence after which they aredischarged at the end of the lower table surface onto a conveyor belt 45in the form of completed sandwiches.

As shown, the inner conveyor 21. is carried around a rectangular innercircuit over sprocket 46, which may be power driven, and guide sprockets41. The outer conveyor 30 is likewise carried around an outerrectangular circuit over sprocket 48, which may be power driven, andguide sprockets 49. It will be understood, however, that the circuitarrangement of the conveyors here shown serves merely for purposes ofillustration, and that any suitable variation thereof may be made solong as the active runs of the conveyors maintain the co-actingrelationship described and cooperate in the manner indicated.

The machine of Figs. 7-13 conforms to the general scheme of operationsfirst described, but differs in detail and serves to illustrate one ofmany modifications which may be made in the location and arrangement ofthe feeding conveyors employed to bring the sandwich layers intosuperposed relation to one another. and 8 I show a table and platformarrangement which comprises a lower forward table surface and an upperrear table surface 5| which overlaps the former. At the rear end'of' theupper surface is located an elevated platform 52 comprising a bottom 53,a rear wall 54, side walls 55, and a sloping forward step 56 down whichthe sandwich layers are fed to the upper table surface 5 I.

In this form of construction a rear feeding conveyor 51 is employed tocarry the sandwich layers along the upper table surface. This conveyorpasses beneath the platform 52 and through an aperture 58 and isprovided on each side with prongs 53 providing open ended bottomlesscells or pockets while the table surfaces laterally adjacent theconveyor slope inwardly as shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 13. In thisarrangement one row only of the sandwich sections (the upper row in Fig.7) is subjected to aacoating operation which is performed by a feeder 60which ejects a suitable spread or coating of peanut butter or the likeupon the surface of each sandwich layer in the underlying row whichlater become the bottom layers of sandwiches in union with the uncoatedtop layers delivered by the opposite side of the conveyor feed.

The conveyor 51 passes around a sprocketfil and thence upwardly andrearwardly and downwardly around guide sprockets 62 (one only beingshown) and by this arrangement the lower run is diverted upwardly at theforward edge of the elevated rear table surface so that at thispointboth the coated and uncoated layers which theretofore hadbeenadvancing abreast and at the same In Figs. 7

level will drop downwardly to different levels as indicated in Fig. 11.That is to say, the coated layers at the left of said figure will droponto the inwardly sloping loWer table surface, While the uncoated layerswill fall into a laterally diverging runway 63, where they will be steppd off and forced obliquely by the prongs 64 of an endless conveyor 65travelling within the runway and around sprockets 66, each centered upona vertical axis so that the conveyor as a whole will travel around acircuit in a substantially horizontal plane and pick off the uncoatedlayers singly and without disarranging their order as they slip over theedge of the upper table surface and are released from contact with theprongs of the feeding conveyor 51.

Meanwhile, the coated layers are advanced in a straight line by theprongs B7 of a secondary feeding conveyor 68 carried around sprockets 69and maintaining a circuit in a horizontal plane below the plane of theconveyor 65, it being understood that both of said conveyors are powerdriven by suitable connections.

The runway 63, being diverted laterally in oblique relation to theacting run (the upper -in Fig. 7) of the secondary conveyor 65, theuncoated layers, when they reach the end of the runway, will registerdirectly with the underlying coated layers onto which they will fall insuccession in the building up of the individual sandwiches. Thereafterthe united layers will pass under a weighted roller 10 or other pressureapplying means which ensures proper adherence of the sections in thecompleted sandwich which is thereafter discharged onto a conveyor H orotherwise removed from the machine.

Operation The general scheme of operations will be understood in themain from the foregoing description. The machine of Fig. 1 willordinarily have a greater capacity than the machine of Fig. 7 since inthe former machine two platforms are provided from which the sandwichlayers are fed simultaneously by two attendants and at a speed which islimited only by the ability of the attendants to fill the cells orpockets in the respective conveyors as they advance beneath therespective platforms and along the table surfaces.

It will be understood, however, that instead of manual feeding thepockets may be loaded by automatic feeders of any suitable character andthe method of advancing and superposing and finally uniting the layersis not dependent upon the manner in which the conveyor pockets areloaded. However, for manual feeding the employment of elevated platformsbeneath which the conveyors are carried affords a most con venient andsatisfactory arrangement where.

manual feeding by two attendants is deemed desirable.

The employment of superposed active runs in the feeding conveyors, andthe provision of open bottomed cells or pockets provided between theprongs, permits the sandwich layers to be swept along the table surfacesat the required level until the support thus afforded terminates andpermits the layers to fall by gravity to a lower level. The arrangementof Fig. 1 is such that the inner conveyor 21 will first act as a feederfor two rows of sandwich layers which are coated and dropped andafterwards carried forward by the underlying run of the outer conveyor,vwhile the inner conveyor thereafter receives a second load of layersdelivered from the forward platd screet form 32 which remain uneoatedand, when released by the inner conveyor, ultimately become the toplayers of the completed sandwich and are thence carried on by the outerconveyor to the point of discharge. Each of the conveyors therefore ismade to sequentially perform a dual function in that the rear portion ofthe lower run of the inner conveyor will be carrying two abreast rows ofcoated layers while the more advanced portion of the same conveyor iscarrying uncoated sections and simultaneously the lowerrun of the otherconveyor will be carrying coated layers at its rear end and built upsandwiches at its forward end. This arrangement therefore utilizes theconveyors to their fullest capacity.

The arrangement shown in Fig. '7 is designed to permit the sandwichlayers to be manipulated by a single attendant since all are feddownwardly from a single platform on opposite sides of a single conveyorand since the coating is pplied to one only of the two rows whichadvance abreast of one another.

It will be noted that the layers of the row being coated ultimately dropto a lower level while the companion uncoated layers first drop into therear end of the diverging trough 63 through which they are fed andlaterally diverted into register with the coated layers so that all theoperations,

after the first delivery of sections from a single pile on the--platform, will be performed automatically, in proper sequence, withoutfurther attention on the part of the operator.

The invention in either formis extremely simple in constructiongsincethe conveyor feeders constitute the only moving parts employed and sinceeach of these is fed continuously throughout its circuit of movement,mechanical complications are avoided. The two conveyor arrangements hereshown in conjunction with supporting surfaces arranged on differentlevels, serve to exemplify'the principles of operation involved, but itwill be understood that numerous mechanical variations in theapplication of the same principle may be employed.

I have heretofore referred to the use of conveyor feeders, but it willbe understood that the term conveyofis intended to cover and include anyflexible feeding mechanism which travels around'a circuit after themanner of a chain and thatin the claims whereI employ the termfeedingmeans, I intend to include any form of feeding agency which isadapted to advance the layers in processional relation and in a mannerconformable to the requirements of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine for uniting layers into sandwich form, the combinationof a high level table and a low level table,-a conveyor so disposed asto cause its active run to traverse the surface of the high level table,said conveyor being provided on each side with projecting membersaffording upwardly open bottomless pockets for the reception of sandwichlayers in processional arrangement and supported on the high level tablesurface, a coating device positioned to spread a coating on the top ofthose layers only which are contained within certain of the pockets atthe instant said pockets pass under the coating device, the remainder ofthe pockets being positioned to receive a group of layers which are notbrought beneath the coating device, the high level table surface beinginterrupted at a point beyond the coating device and beneath the portionof the conveyor carrying coated layers to permit said layers to drop tothe low level table surface, a supple..- mental conveyor provided withpockets adapted to receive the coated layers falling to the low leveltable surface and carry them forward in processional relation beforeassembly and in register with overlying uncoated layers, and the highlevel table beneath the portion of the conveyor car-rying uncoatedlayers terminating beyond the drop:- -ping point for the coated layersto permit the uncoated layers to fall m'ngly onto single coated layersto form a sandwich.

2. In a machine for uniting layers into sand.- wich form, thecombination of a high level table and an underlying low level table, arear platform and a forward platform each located above the high leveltable and positioned to permit layers to 'be fed downwardly therefromand onto the surface of the high level table, a conveyor so disposed asto cause its active run to traverse the surface of said high leveltable, said conveyor be.- ing provided with bottomlesspockets for there-- ception :of sandwich layers in processional arrangement, a coatingdevice located between the platforms and positioned to spread a coatingon the top of the layers f-ed downwardly from the rear platform, thehigh level table surface being interrupted at a point behind the poin ofdischarge of layers fed from the forward platform to permit'co-atcdlayers to drop to the iow level table surface, a lower conveyor sodisposed as to cause its active run to traverse the said table surfaceand-carry forward coated layers dropped thereon from the high leveltable surface, said conveyor being provided with bottomless pockets ofthe character first described, said pockets registering singly withoverlying pockets in the first mentioned conveyor, the high leveltablesurface being. further interrupted in position to permit uncoatedlayers to drop onto and register singly with coated layers .to form asandwich.

3. In a machine for uniting iayers into sandwich form, the combinationof ahighlevel table and an underlying low level table, a rear platformand a forward platform .eachlocated above the high level tableandpositicned to permit layers to ,in'processional arrangement,

face of the high level table, a conveyor so disposed fas to caus itsactive run to traverse the surface .of said high level table, saidconveyor being provided on each side with laterally projecting'membersafiording upwardly open bottomless pockets for the reception of sandwichlayers a coating device located between the platforms and positioned tospread a coating onlthe top of the layers fed downwardly from the rearplatform, the high level table sllrfacebeing interrupted at a pointbehind the point of discharge of layers fed from the f or- Y [wardplatform'to permit coated layers to drop to the'l'ow level tablesurface, a'lowel conveyor so disposed as to cause its active run totraverse the said table surface and carry forward coated layers droppedthereon from the high level table surface, said conveyor being providedwith bottomless pockets of the character first described, said pocketsregistering singly with overlying pockets in the first mentionedconveyor, the high level table surface being further interrupted inposition to permit uncoa-ted layers to drop onto and register singlywith coated layers to form a sandwich.

4. In a machine for uniting layers into sandwich form, the combinationof a structure affording a feeding surface, a feeding platform elevatedabove the rear end of said structure, feeding means so disposed as tocause an active portion thereof to traverse the surface of saidstructure below the platform, said active portion having bottomlesspockets on each side for the reception singly of layers fed downwardlyfrom the platform to slidably advance the same in two abreast rows inprocessional relation, a coating device positioned to coat the tops ofonly one of said rows, means for bringing said respective rows intodifferent levels, said means including a feeding element and anunderlying surface having its terminus above the coated layers to permituncoated layers to drop singly onto the coated layers to formsandwiches.

5. In a machine for uniting layers into sandwich form, the combinationof a high level table and a low level table in adjacent feedingrelation, a feeding platform elevated above the rear end of the highlevel table, feeding means so disposed as to cause its active portion totraverse the surface of the high level table below the platform, andmeans having bottomless pockets on each side for the reception singly oflayers fed downwardly from the platform to slidably advance the same intwo abreast rows in processional relation, a coating device positionedto coat the tops of only one of said rows, the table surface beinginterrupted beyond the coating device on the coating side of saidfeeding means to permit layers carried thereby to drop to the low leveltable surface, a portion of the feeding means bein adapted to continuethe advance of the dropped layers in processional relation, a runwayconfigured to divert the uncoated layers into position to overlie andregister singly with underlying coated layers and at its terminuspermitting such uncoated layers to drop singly onto coated layers, andmeans for feeding a procession of uncoated layers along said runway tothe terminus thereof.

6. In a machine for uniting layers into sandwich form, the combinationof a high level table and a low level table in adjacent relation to oneanother, a feeding platform elevated above the rear end of the highlevel table, feeding means having a portion so disposed as to cause itsactive portion to traverse the surface of the high level table below theplatform, said means having bottomless pockets on each side for thereception singly of layers fed downwardly from the platform to slidablyadvance the same in two abreast rows in processional relation, a coatingdevice positioned to coat the tops of only one of said rows, the tablesurface beyond said coating device being interrupted on the coating sideof said feeding means to permit layers carried thereby to drop to thelow level table surface, another portion of the feeding means beingadapted to continue the advance of the dropped layers in processionalrelation, a runway configured to divert the uncoated layers intoposition to overlie and register singly with underlying coated layersand at its terminus permitting such uncoated layers to drop singly ontocoated layers, an endless chain positioned to have its active runadvance along said runway and provided with laterally projecting spacedprongs adapted to engage singly between uncoated layers delivered fromone side only of the first mentioned feeding means and continue theadvance thereof along said runway, and sprockets centered on verticalaxes for mounting said endless chain.

7. In a machine for uniting layers into sandwich form, the combinationof a high level table and a low level table, a conveyor so disposed asto cause its active run to traverse the surface of the high level table,said conveyor being provided with pockets for the reception of sandwichlayers in processional arrangement, a coating device positioned tospread a coating on the layers contained in certain of said pockets,other of the pockets being meanwhile positioned to receive uncoatedlayers, the high level table surface being interrupted to permit thecoated layers to drop to the low level table surface after they havebeen carried by the conveyor past the coating device, a supplementalconveyor provided with pockets to receive the coated layers falling ontothe low level table and carry them forward in processional relationprior to their assembly with overlying uncoated layers, and the highlevel table terminating in position to permit the uncoated layers tofall singly onto single coated layers to form a sandwich.

8. In a device for uniting layers into sandwich form, the combination ofa high level table and a low level table, conveyor means including anactive run located to traverse the surface of a high level table, saidconveyor being provided with side projections affording upwardly open,bottomless, pockets for the reception of sandwich layers in processionalarrangement supported on the high level table surface, coating mechanismpositioned to spread coating material on the top of layers containedwithin certain of said pockets, said conveyor means being provided withpockets to receive uncoated layers, the high level table surface beinginterrupted to permit the coated layers to drop to the low level tablesurface after they have been carried by the conveyor past the coatingdevice, said conveyor means having pockets to receive the coated layersfalling to the low level table surface, and advance them in processionalrelation in registration with overlying uncoated layers prior toassembly therewith, and the support for the uncoated layers terminatingin a manner to permit them to fall one by one, each on a single coatedlayer to form a sandwich.

BENGT A. ARVIDSON.

